Choosing Sides
by riverfirephoenix
Summary: A brilliant young doctor is enlisted by the First Order and is unwittingly thrown into the middle of the galactic struggle. Can she remain neutral or will she be forced to choose a side? Set before TFA. My first ever fic, comments are welcomed. Poss OC/Hux/Poe triangle. Rated M as unsure where the content will go. I don't own anything in the Star Wars AU...sadly
1. Chapter 1

Eradorn. One of the nicer outer rim planets to be landing on Dopheld had to admit, but it was an outer rim planet none the less; and one that also had ties to the Republic - as slim as they were. Located approximately halfway between Yavin 4 and Tatooine, the population was small and famously neutral. Despite the...variety...in species of the inhabitants it seemed to be a lawful planet. It was upheld by its own rules and morals, no one did anything bad without consequences. The neutrality came from the local inhabitants following their own code, one of non-objectivity. It didn't matter who you were, what you were, or what you did; if you were on Eradorn you were treated just like everyone else. Dopheld found the code to be both endearing and disgusting at the same time. To him, it wasn't as much order as it was an ignorant complacency to the outside worlds. Yet, a very small part of him wished he could experience what that felt like. To be blissfully ignorant of the fate of the galaxy. Fate however had cast Dopheld into a different role, so instead he was marching through an Eradorn market at high speed, searching. General Hux was waiting, and he wasn't a patient man.

 _White hair, follow the music_.

The old man couldn't have been less helpful, but Dopheld was time poor and General Hux was in a bad mood. So the Lieutenant had taken the option that allowed him to remove himself hastily from the room.

He heard the strums and throngs of folky tunes grow louder as he made his way to the centre of the market. What Dopheld found when he made it to the source of the music surprised him. He found the owner of white hair, in the middle of the courtyard dancing. Her partner was a taller…man(?)…with a horrendously disfigured face. The way in which he twirled and lifted his white haired partner to the music showed a beautiful grace no doubt consistently over looked due to the scars. While this was a juxtaposition in itself, Dopheld's surprise however was largely directed at the bearer of the white hair herself. She was much younger than he had expected, and far more captivating. She wore a long, yellow gold dress which was slightly pleated at the back providing a small train to the hem. Her white hair was intricately braided and he watched mesmerized as it swung back and forth along her waist with the movements. It was clear both she and her partner were enjoying themselves by the laughter on both their faces and Dopheld couldn't help but stare at her joyful, deep blue eyes each time she swirled past him.

Was this the right person? Certainly the vague description matched and he hadn't come across any other white hair females. He flicked his eyes around the gathered crowd quickly just in case he was missing something.

 _White hair, follow the music_. He didn't see anyone else around with white hair.

As luck would have it, he was about to find out. The music stopped.

He watched her share a fond hug with her dancing comrade before winking and leaving him to the grips of a group of females that had eagerly surrounded him.

Dopheld hastily made his way towards her. As she started to make her way back into the crowd, she caught Dopheld's eyes and stopped. No doubt the contrast of the black uniform against the mix of mainly spring colours moving quickly in her direction had drawn her attention.

She eyed him cautiously as he neared her causing him to clear his throat nervously when he found himself in front of her.

"Excuse me, Doctor Vell?"

"Yes?"

"Doctor Inara Vell?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Given that I am the only Doctor Vell on the planet, that would be a yes. Is there something I can help you with Mr…"

"Lieutenant Mitaka. Apologies for my intrusion Dr Vell, however there is a very pressing matter the General of the First Order needs to speak to you about"

"The General of the First Order?"

"Yes. It is incredibly urgent. He is waiting in your office."

Dopheld shifted uncomfortably as she studied his face. He noted an etch of concern, he had no doubt he looked completely flustered. After a small moment she spoke again.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant but I am not on duty today. I do however, have many colleagues who would be more than willing to-"

"The General isn't here for your colleagues Dr Vell. We have come specifically to seek out your particular skills." He interrupted. Time was of the essence and he felt the verbal lashing increasing with each moment he hadn't yet returned with her. "If you wouldn't mind, it really is quite urgent."

His words were formal but his eyes pleaded. She let out a small sigh.

"Very well Lieutenant, I will meet with your General."

* * *

General Hux waited impatiently at the window for Mitaka's return. The building he was in was near the back of a series of complexes, Eradorn's apparently infamous hospital. Infamous only to those who bothered to ask it seemed. This particular office backed onto a small field of various flowers and a surrounding forest allowing for a spectacular view out of its large window. The scenery was however wasted on Hux as his mind was back on his base. Just as his mind wandered to what sort of punishment he would deal out if this lead turned out to be a waste of time, he heard the hasty scramble of boots and knew immediately that Mitaka had finally returned.

He turned slowly to face the figure in the doorway who immediately straightened up while still fighting to catch his breath.

"I have found her General." he rasped

"Send her in."

"I hardly need an invitation to enter my own office General." Said a voice behind Mitaka. The form of a young woman, no older than her mid to late twenties move swiftly past the lieutenant. She barely acknowledged Hux as she made her way past him to her desk.

"The lieutenant tells me you have a very urgent matter? How can I help?"

He looked her over momentarily before turning back to Mitaka.

"Lieutenant?" He questioned

Mitaka knew what he was being asked without any further clarification.

"Yes General, confirmed with my contact and by Dr Bazyurn himself."

She was who they were looking for then. Hux was no longer sure this was the promising lead he had been offered. He nodded toward Mitaka who took his queue to leave.

Hux took a moment to take in his counterpart. She was not as expected and this concerned him.

"Dr Vell. I am told you have significant skills in the area that I require assistance."

"That depends on what the assistance you need is…General. I can't speak what you have heard, but I pride myself on being very good at what I do. So if you are after any sort of medical assistance, then yes I consider myself skilled."

Hux considered her for a moment. "Your reputation proceeds you, yet you were not what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"Someone older." Hux said pointedly.

She smiled.

"That is not the first time I've heard that. It's exactly what I expect of someone in your position also General, yet here we are - exceptions to the rule. I'm sure you can appreciate the hard work it takes to get to this level at an unprecedented age. I assure you, that if you have heard that I can help, then I very likely can."

He studied her carefully, looking for any signs of falsehood. He did not come across any. It was true, he was the youngest General in the history of the Order and even the Empire. It seemed they both had a prestigious reputation that was normally laid on those much older than themselves. If it took anywhere near as much work for her to get her reputation as it did him to get to where he was, he could respect that.

"I have heard that your matter is quite urgent, what is it exactly that I can do for you General?"

"No doubt you have heard of the first order Doctor." He started

"I have."

Loyalty was key in the Order, and outsiders were never brought inside its operations. He had heard of the neutrality of the planet but wanted to be certain of her particular views.

"And what do you think about us?"

"I don't." she stated matter of factly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I don't General. I don't think about the First Order."

His quizzical brow couldn't get any higher. She sighed.

"I don't care for politics General Hux. I care for people. No matter who they are, what they are or what policies they follow. I am neutral in opinion. We make it our business here to stay out of the Galaxy's wider issues."

Hux's brain ticked over. He wasn't sure he liked the answer but given the circumstances he wasn't sure he had a choice either. Her claims of neutrality could be an issue with loyalty, or could just be what he needed right now. Given of course, she wasn't lying. He decided to trust his judgement and press on.

"I have a very critical situation on my base. Over three quarters of my troopers have developed some concerning symptoms which First Order medics have been unable to find the cause. It has now resulted in two deaths. I'd like to prevent more."

Dr Vell frowned and shifted forward. "What are the presented symptoms General?"

"Fever, crusting of the eye and mouth areas. Swollen tongue, swollen fingers and some have presented with boil like sores."

She jumped out of her seat and hastily searched through one of her many shelves. Hux remained in his spot, arms clasped firmly behind his back and waited.

"I recall reading something similar to what you are describing general. It was a long time ago, and the only documentation of the symptoms found in a journal. If I can find it…ahhh here it is."

She flipped through the pages of a worn book and Hux watched as she ran her fingers along a few lines. After a few moments, she looked up at him concerned.

"General, if this is indeed what your men are ailed with I may know how to help them. I'll need to run a few tests to be sure. Could you take me to your base?"

"Lieutenant Mitaka!" Hux called. The Lieutenant arrived almost immediately in the doorway. "Have the ship readied, we leave immediately"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks sammyxxjames/JJchickybabe for the follow and sammyxxjames for the fave. I hope this lives up to your expectations :)** **Apologies for the delay in updating, i have been writing at every opportunity but haven't had a lot of time. I think I've gone over this chapter about 5 times but ripping off the band aid and posting. Hope you enjoy :) Chapter 3 shouldn't be too far off and will start to get into a bit more action. Here goes!**

* * *

It had been a hasty departure from Eradorn. Inara had grabbed whatever clothing she had in quick reach and any other items she thought she may need for the travel. The General had assured her the best medical equipment would be available to her on the base so she would not need to bring any of her own, nevertheless she made sure to pack her most relied upon reference materials and the journal that she felt had relevant information.

She was escorted to their transport by Lieutenant Mitaka. She had developed a soft spot for the man in the short time they had been acquainted. He constantly exuded a sort of shy nervousness - which was on full display in her dwelling as he stood in the doorway, cap gripped tightly in his gloved hands - and yet under it all she detected a hidden courage. He was also fiercely polite, and in the absence of droids had insisted on carrying her belongings. It was endearing.

Once on the transport, he then apologized profusely for having to place her in a closed off room with no windows or visibility to the rest of the ship. It was for security precautions he'd explained, and he had hoped that she would understand. She had felt so bad for him that she had smiled and given him a small pat on the hand, noting the way he almost jerked it away in surprise. She understood and she didn't mind, she'd planned to pour through her reference materials during the trip anyway. She reveled in time alone and once she had changed into a more appropriate and comfortable outfit consisting of her usual black trousers, boots and a white linen top; she immediately started her research.

When they finally arrived at their destination, Inara had culminated a bunch of notes, theories and possible treatments. If she was on the right track, time was of the essence and she needed to be prepared.

When the door to her room opened she was greeted by the friendly Lieutenant once again, but he was not alone. Behind him stood a tall figure in head to toe chrome armour.

"Doctor Vell, this is Captain Phasma. She presides over the troopers and has made herself available for anything you may need."

She politely nodded at the looming figure.

"If you'll follow me Doctor, I will take you down to the quarantined units. The General has asked that I escort you personally and provide you a full overview of our medical facilities." The modulated voice echoed from behind the mask.

Inara grabbed her notes and materials, before moving to grab her luggage. The Lieutenant stopped her, placing a hand on her own. This time he seemed more comfortable.

As if suddenly coming to the realisation that that he had initiated some physical contact, he pulled away. Only slightly more comfortable then.

Being a naturally compassionate person herself, she found the lack of comfort with physical contact a strange concept. It was part of what she did every day. In the Lieutenant's case, she was slightly amused by his obvious awkwardness but as she looked at his counterpart she noticed a theme. She assumed it must be military training but made a mental note to find out more about the order once her job here was done. She had become somewhat intrigued in her albeit brief encounter so far.

Mitaka cleared his throat in what Inara assumed was an effort to gain some composure.

"I will have someone take care of your personal affects for you" he offered. "We will have quarters made up and available for you which the Captain can escort you to later."

"Thank you Lieutenant." She smiled, before hastily making her way off the transport after the Captain.

Inara followed dutifully, attempting to note the hallways and passages as she went. It was clear without an escort she would get lost immediately, the base seemed never ending. When they finally got to their destination, Inara got a glimpse of the magnitude of both the base's size and the illness that had taken hold of it.

She stood in a large observation room which looked over what she assumed would normally be a hangar. Instead, hundreds – possibly thousands - of cots filled with ailed troops littered the below her, and a number of medics in masks flittered around attending to patients. It caused Inara to suck in a breath of surprise, she had seen many diseases, illnesses and ailments in her time but nothing to this scale. There were so many unwell people down there.

"The first symptoms presented themselves four days ago upon troop five's return from a training mission on a planet not far from here. Within a few hours of their return the entire troop became feverish. The troopers were immediately quarantined as per protocol, however it had already spread through a number of the ranks. We believe we have managed to contain it, however the symptoms of those infected are getting worse, the end result being death." The Captain stated.

"The General tells me the other symptoms aside from fever have been crusting of the eye and mouth areas, swollen tongues and fingers, and that some have also presented with boil like sores?" Inara questioned

"Correct. The boils presented themselves on a few troopers only yesterday."

Inara continued to stare down over the hundreds of filled beds. "Tell me Captain, did the boils present themselves on the troopers who passed?"

"Yes"

"And how long before they passed was this symptom noted?"

"According to my records, half a day Doctor."

"Has anyone been back to the planet that the troops were training on?" Inara asked. She was following a train of thought and wanted to rule out any of the attempted treatments. Before the Captain could answer, a gruff voice spat from behind Inara.

"I should think not!"

Lost in thought, she hadn't noted anyone entering the room. She turned to look at the new entrant and found herself staring at an incredibly tall and slender older gentleman. If she had to guess, he was at least 80 and dressed in a white medical tunic along with the black military breeches she had noted on other officers as she had made her way to the observation room. He also looked incredibly unhappy.

"Captian, who may I ask is this vagrant? And just what is she doing here?"

Before the Captain or Inara could respond, his question was answered by a commanding voice which entered from behind him.

"This, Doctor Graven, is Doctor Vell. She has been sourced specifically to assist in our pressing matter seeing as you and your medical team continue to fail in providing me with any answers." General Hux stated calmly, hands clasped behind his back. Lieutenant Mitaka had taken his place slightly behind him, data pad grasped firmly.

Doctor Graven turned his displeased look towards the General.

"With all due respect General Hux, I am the most qualified Doctor in the galaxy. What do you expect this-" He pointed to Inara. "-CHILD to do? She's barely old enough to have even finished any proper medical training."

The General seemed to ignore this question as he walked past Doctor Graven to the observation window. "Lieutenant, hand Doctor Vell the data pad"

Lieutenant Mitaka dutifully made his way over to Inara and handed her the item.

"Everything that has been done so far for my men is available for you to peruse Doctor Vell. I believe you had asked the Captain if anyone has ventured back to the planet this illness seems to come from. The answer is no. Until now it had not been suggested." General Hux turned and looked back at Doctor Graven. Inara watched as the doctor's demeanor changed slightly. She couldn't be certain, but there seemed to be a sense of fear hiding there.

"Given that we are not certain what is causing the illness, I did not consider it to be a good idea due to the risk."

The General stood silent for a moment, as if staring down the doctor before he spoke again.

"There is high risk. However, I am interested, Doctor Vell, to understand why you asked that question?" The question was directed at Inara, yet the General kept his eyes squarely fixed on Graven. She normally ignored what she considered power plays, she had seen it often in her time and was not at all interested in it. This however, seemed like it may have been something more. She pushed the thought aside and focused on the task at hand.

"General, my initial thoughts are that this could be Endregaad Plague. If it is and there were any other inhabitants on the planet that weren't infected, they may have a cure or at the least an immunization"

Graven scoffed.

"Endregaad Plague! You can't be serious. It's a hysteria dreamed up by a group of outer rim doctors who wanted nothing more than to cheat their way into infamy. They claimed that the disease was developed by Imperial Forces during the time of Palpatine and they were proven to have made it up!"

Inara frowned at the outburst.

"General, this is ridiculous. The girl is obviously not qualified, the disease is fictional. We are wasting valuable time entertaining this vagabond."

Who did this man think he was?! Power plays were one thing, but flat out even refusing to hear her out because of her gender and age was another. Unable to contain her anger, Inara picked up the journal she had brought and threw it on a console in front of Graven.

"Used by a group of doctors who craved infamy yes, but fake it is not. It has been documented by one of the most respected medical teams in the republic. That journal Doctor Graven, was written over 68 cycles ago and among many things recounts a strikingly similar case of illness. They noted that while they themselves weren't able to find any way to create an immunity, they were able to treat the symptoms with medicinal herbs and spices."

Graven looked at the journal but did not pick it up.

"And for the record, I am not a vagrant nor a vagabond. I have an established home on Eradorn and have been under the tutelage of the best medical practitioners the galaxy has to offer there my entire life." Both Doctors stared each other down.

Surprisingly, it was the General who broke the tension. He moved over and stood between the two, picking up the journal to casually look at its cover. After a moment, he handed to Inara. She broke her eye contact with Graven to look up at him. It only now occurred to her just how level he had been the whole time. From the time they met in her office until now in the middle of heated discussions, with numerous troops careening towards their death beds in the background, his demeanour had barely changed. It was a constant commanding and resolute presence. She found herself intrigued now not only by the order but also specifically by him, another thought that was pushed aside as he spoke again.

"Captain Phasma will walk you through the rest of our medical facilities. You may peruse the information obtained by Doctor Graven and our medical team as you please. I will expect your findings within the hour." As the General turned to walk out the door, Inara caught the Lieutenant's slight smile at her as he followed the General out. Before the General had fully left the room, he spoke again.

You will follow me to my office for a full briefing immediately, Doctor Graven."

Graven looked taken aback at the General's request and shot Inara an incandescent glance before he followed the General's command.

Left in silence, Inara turned back to the Captian.

"I'd like to speak to some of the patients if possible Captain."

"Certainly Doctor Vell, follow me."

* * *

By the time the General had made it back to his office, he was livid. Not that you could tell by looks alone. Many officers though who had more consistent contact with him – such as Lieutenant Mitaka - could tell however, and dodged his path as he had strode through the compound.

Mitaka had kept stride just behind the General while Doctor Graven brought up the rear. Graven's face was held high in resolute self-importance, giving some the aura that his imminent meeting with the General would be desirable to them. Doctor Graven himself was about to find out otherwise.

The General strode to his desk and sat down. Doctor Graven took his place in front of the General, he knew better than to make himself comfortable. No one in their right mind would make themselves comfortable in the General's office. The General had purposefully made it so that the task was nearly impossible to all but himself. Mitaka took his place standing loyally at the General's side.

Hux eyed the Doctor coolly for a few moments before he spoke.

"Sit Doctor."

Doctor Graven sat obediently. He was still holding his resolute features but Hux could see beneath the masked exterior. He was scared and he damned well should be. He had a suspicion that the old bastard had issue with younger generations moving in on his territory and that included Hux. His outburst in the observation deck had only proven it. That sort of attitude was dangerous in Hux's experience. Men who fear the up and comers could do desperate things to keep their footholds, particularly those who think they can get away with it. Graven so far seemed to think that he was invincible thanks to his connection to Hux's own father – Brendol Hux. Bringing in Doctor Vell could quite possibly be the reminder he needed that he wasn't. She had certainly been able to hold her own just moments ago. That was if she could in fact, save his troopers. If not, all was lost anyway and he would take the old man down with him.

"It seems you have issue with my decision to bring Doctor Vell in to assist with our epidemic Doctor Graven."

Graven shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Hux found pleasure in that.

"I only mean to point out General Hux, that she seems far too young to have the kind of knowledge to handle this situation. How is it possible that someone of her age has any necessary experience?"

"Do you think I am too inexperienced Doctor?" The General asked pointedly.

Graven's mouth almost fell open in realisation and he stumbled to get through his words.

"No, of course not. You are of course the best there is in the Order General. It is just, it took me 45 cycles to achieve my full training status in the medical field. Even then, I served my time well enough in the Empire to sit where I am today."

Hux stared at Graven, hands steepled at his chin, his stony expression unchanging.

"All that tells me Doctor, is that she is far more capable than yourself to have achieved such knowledge and reputation at less than half the time it took you." Hux enjoyed that line immensely. He wanted nothing more than to show the Doctor exactly where his place was in the Order. Older than Hux or not, a friend of Brendol or not. This was his domain, not his father's.

The stab at Graven's ego made him lose himself for a moment and a look of utmost contempt stretched across his features.

"General Hux, you don't know who this girl is. It is unheard of to bring an outsider into the First order let alone allow them access to the extent you have given her. Full trust of our facilities to an unknown party, this is not the way we ran things in the Empire."

The General's patience had run out and the full fury brought on by Graven's insubordination lit his stomach on fire. Did this old man really think he was stupid enough to let Dr Vell run rampant through his facilities? She had, and would remain to have limited access and information as long as she was here. She would not be privy to anything they were doing. She would have what she needed to fix his men and that was all.

You could be forgiven for thinking that General Hux was a collected individual. For the most part he was, and his ability to have high control over his emotions (along with his ambition) was one of the reasons he had made it so far in the Order. This, was not one of those times. In his now unkempt rage, Hux stood and violently slammed his hands on the desk. Both Graven and Mitaka jumped, Graven a lot higher than the latter.

"HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY COMMAND! YOU FORGET YOURSELF DOCTOR, THE WHOLE REASON I HAVE BEEN PUSHED TO BRING IN AN OUTSIDER IS DUE TO YOUR OWN INCOMPETENCE AT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ANSWERS WHAT SO EVER! NOT EVEN A SIMPLE THEORY! AND YET, DOCTOR VELL HAD AT LEAST SOMETHING TO GO ON WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF BEING BRIEFED! YOU TALK TO ME OF THE EMPIRE?! IT NO LONGER EXISTS DOCTOR, THE FIRST ORDER IS IN ITS PLACE! **MY** FIRST ORDER, AND I DON'T INTEND TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES LIKE SOLELY RELYING ON INCOMPETENCE SUCH AS YOURSELF!"

Hux's face had turned red during his tirade and Graven had shrunk back into his chair more than it seemed physically possible. The General drew a deep breath, stood to his full height and regained his composure.

"You will work with Doctor Vell, and you will ensure that she has everything she needs to save my men. I will not hear any more about it. You are dismissed Doctor."

Graven took his opportunity and stood quickly, giving a slight nod to the General as he turned to walk out the office. Just before he reached the door and possible safety, Hux's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Oh and Doctor. If you ever question my command again, I'll have you thrown into conditioning. Do I make myself clear?"

The General had his head down, pouring over his data pad as Graven turned a pale face towards him.

"Yes General." He managed to choke out, before swiftly making his way out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry about the slowness to update, I'm pretty bad at this. This is also a bit of a shorter chapter I think. Excited to see some new followers, thank you and I hope you are enjoying so far! I promised a bit more action but it's taking me a bit longer to get there than I thought as I decided to spend some time building on character relationships so that the story line and character actions make some sense down the track.**

* * *

It had taken just over half an hour for Inara to assess the information and come to a course of action. She had spent time with two of the patients - one of the more recent to have presented with symptoms and one of the earlier who was now presenting with boils. Captain Phasma had shown her through the labs and waited patiently as she poured through all of the available information. She had briefly crossed paths with Dr Graven, who seemed much more irate than earlier however gave her a stiff nod before handing her some notes and heading back into his office.

She had settled on her initial conclusion of Endregaad Plague as the cause and was confident in her diagnosis. What she wasn't so confident in was how to treat it. The journal she had mentioned a concoction of a few herbs and spices, mostly rare and expensive. But it also suggested that there would need to be an herb, likely native to the planet of contraction that could act as a catalyst in the blend and allow a cure. She theorized that if she could mix it with the right substances, she may also be able to get certain level of immunity to propagate.

That herb however would cause issue, particularly if the planet was still risky. According to the Captain, there was a reason they had been using it for training exercises. So, aside from the potential small group left over of angry inhabitants, anyone who went couldn't be sure they wouldn't contract the disease either. It would likely be a one way trip if not successful.

Rather than anguish any further over the possible scenarios herself, she chose to reveal her findings to the General and allow him to decide if it was the best course of action for his men.

Wordlessly, Captain Phasma led Inara through the maze of hallways towards the Generals office. This time, Inara didn't bother to pay attention and instead lost herself in more thought. Would the General send a mission to the planet? Possible death against certain death seemed to be of worthy odds to her, but she didn't know the General well enough to know what his decision would be.

Through her investigation she found out that the troops were not named as such, but had numbers. ES-4221. That was what he called himself when he spoke to her. It seemed to her that anyone who called their troops by numbers likely thought of them that way, and perhaps didn't think it was worth a risky mission for a cure. But then, why source her for assistance in the first place? Was it about numbers? If so, couldn't they just round up more?

More unusual questions presented themselves to Inara. What was the First order like? What was its General really like? Why did she want to know? She had been brought up to not involve herself in anything beyond what she needed to in order to treat her patients and until now, that was how she had always kept it. This time around was different. Perhaps it was the size of the epidemic causing the curiosity? She had dealt with many mysterious and private people before, why did this particular organisation pique her interest?

"You may enter."

The General's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she realised that they had arrived outside his office. Captain Phasma remained by the door as Inara entered. The office was spacious; a lounge area to the left, equipped with a bar and to the right his immense desk. Two chairs faced the General's own on the opposite side. Piles of paperwork were stacked on either side neatly. It was luxurious yet minimal. What was in it was grand, but there was little of it. No clutter, everything had a place.

To Inara, the First Order was becoming truly fascinating.

The General was engaged in his data pad, and had not yet acknowledged Dr Vell's presence. Unaware of normal military protocol – specifically that of the First Order - the doctor strode over to his desk, laid out her notes and started.

"General, I am positive that we are indeed dealing with Endregaad Plague. I am confident that we can obtain many of the spices and herbs needed to make a cure, however there is one that may be a little trouble."

The General slowly lifted his head, stony expression meeting the doctor as she leaned over his desk toward him. A little way behind the General, Lieutenant Mitaka's expression screamed at Dr Vell in terror.

She remained oblivious.

Not 20 minutes ago the General had torn shreds through Dr Graven and here Dr Inara Vell was, just throwing information at him without proper invitation. She seemed to take the General's stony demeanour as his standard look, and Mitaka realised that she probably hadn't seen anything else from him. The silence was palpable to Mitaka, who held his breath in anticipation. To his surprise, there was no explosion from the General.

"Interesting doctor. How so?" He asked her.

"It will as I feared, require a trip to the planet where the contagion was picked up."

Mitaka's stomach turned a little. That was a risky endeavour. With no known immunity and limited troops, a potentially a deadly one.

The General stood and moved around his desk towards Dr Vell, who straightened up and watched him curiously. Mitaka realised she was trying to read his reaction and smiled inwardly. She really did seem smarter than her years, even if she had no concept of military protocol. She may just be the one to cure the men. He wondered if the General thought the same thing and if that was the reason he had overlooked her brashness just now.

"Troublesome indeed." The General stated almost absentmindedly, hands clasped behind his back in thought. "What other options do you have Doctor Vell?"

Dr Vell's face dropped. "The only other option is to hope the mixture of herbs and spices help. But they seem to be more for treating symptoms and easing pain rather than curing the disease. My research all indicates that there is always an herb - not always the same one but always of the same genus, which is routinely ingested by the local inhabitants allowing a sort of immunity. It was never discovered how the immunity developed for them, however adding that herb to the mixture in essence develops it into a cure. Given the right tools and some more time, I could possibly even create an immunity from it. Captain Phasma did advise me that there are natives on the planet the troops were on and that none seemed showed any sign of infection. That gives me an indication that there is certainly a way of preventing the disease from taking hold."

The General gestured at Mitaka who brought his data pad over and placed into the General's waiting hands. He had a feeling where this was going and was not sure he was completely comfortable with it.

"I realise that this is a rather haphazard option. There is no guarantee that the herb will be found, and if so anyone you send down there will become infected with no cure. I fear the fates don't seem to be swaying to our side in this case." She paused for a moment.

"General Hux, there is another important piece of information you should know…" Dr Vell started. Both General Hux and Mitaka looked up at her.

"When the boils present, it means the disease has entered the vital organs and there is no way to prevent death once that happens. If there is not a cure administered within the next 24 hours, I fear that we will be looking at an 80% fatality rate."

Mitaka looked to the General. As mostly usual, his face was a mask. The First Order stood to lose 80% of its troops – thousands of men – and to look at General Hux you wouldn't have a clue. Mitaka's ambitions had been high through his time at the Academy, but to have the kind of weight the General dealt with was beyond his desires. He often marvelled at how short lived the General's emotional outbursts were due to this fact, not that it made them any easier to take.

"We have limited troops AND limited time then it seems Doctor Vell." The doctor seemed to be a little taken back by the General's agreeance to her recommendation.

"Lieutenant, I need numbers of all available troops as well as ranking and experience. We will need a troop available to head back to the planet and other smaller groups to obtain the other herbs and spices. From what I see in your notes Doctor, most are rare and expensive."

"Yes General." She answered

Mitaka scanned the list as he placed troop and ranking information in front of the General who was now leaning over the front of his desk much like Dr Vell had been minutes before.

"General, there are several farming planets within range that I believe we can get this from. There is only one that I see may be a little more troublesome – it's on a Hutt controlled planet."

"We can send officers to obtain the easier ingredients and a troop to the outer rim planet controlled by the Hutts. That will free up more men for the mission to Arknim 2." The General motioned to the door. "Lieutenant, have Captain Phasma enter. She will need to be briefed immediately on the mission."

As Mitaka commed Phasma to enter, he caught a look on Doctor Vell's face.

"General," She interrupted "I'd like to accompany your men to the planet."

The General stopped to look steadfast at the Doctor. Mitaka almost choked, Captain Phasma stood waiting silently.

"Doctor Vell, you are aware that this is a hostile planet?"

"Yes General."

"Do you have any combat or defence training?"

"No General."

"And yet you are asking that I let the person who at this stage is the only one who can help my men walk onto a possibly dangerous planet?" The look he was giving the doctor was almost sceptical.

Mitaka understood the General's objection however, he regarded her with a delighted curiosity. She owed no loyalty to the Order nor to its ailed men and yet she was putting herself forward for a potential one way mission. He was starting to realise that what he had read about her was not as much the stretched versions of the truth he had initially agonized.

"I know the genetic material I'm looking for, but I don't know in what form of herb it takes. If I'm there, I can do tests on-planet to find the right one. With respect, you don't have time for your men to guess. They could bring back 20 plants and they could all be the wrong one. I won't come back until I have the right one." Her face was resolved, she meant it.

Mitaka was dumbfounded. This was something he had never encountered before. Selflessness. She had nothing to personally gain from this. She already had a high standing reputation, and the General had been very clear that anything she did for them was classified and could not be spoken of outside the Order in any case. He wondered exactly what her childhood was like, to be able to freely offer her servitude in such a way and not even blink.

"You make a convincing argument. Very well doctor." The General replied.

With a sudden loss of self-control, Mitaka spoke.

"General, with available troops rather low I'd like to put myself forward to assist Doctor Vell on the mission to Arknim 2." He clapped his mouth closed in sudden shock.

The general paid him little attention and waived his hand dismissively.

"Fine Lieutenant."

What in the galaxy had inspired him to do that? He wasn't a trooper! Sure he had combat training but that's not what he specialised in, he was more of a behind a desk sort of man. A behind the desk, as far away from combat sort of man. Yet the doctor's offer had tugged at something he didn't know he had, compelling him to do something more himself.

With utter terror gripping his stomach, he attempted to keep himself composed as plans were laid out between himself, the doctor, Captain Phasma and the General.

Just as he thought he might pass out, he caught the warm smile directed at him from Dr Vell.


End file.
